After Hawks agreed to multi-million DSI contract, so just what does it mean for Gambian football?

By Sulayman Bah
Mustapha jarju and TijanJaiteh are repordly among players being considered for recruitment by DSI
When Hawks announced they have brokered a deal with Doyen Sports, the news was received with delirious surprise. The prospect of being bankrolled by an investment-willing group is really a cause to jump for. As revealed by Foroyaa Sport last month while matters were at a negotiation stage, Hawks has finally accepted the firm’s offer pending a formal signing today.
In the contract lies a dozen of lined up projects to be implemented. If successful, the Gambian league will be the subject of headline news with players from this country on the verge of being internationally exposed. The agency while providing sponsorship to Hawks hopes to profit through match tickets, TV rights and player sale. But just what does this new development mean to Gambian football in the four years DSI intends to stay?
The contract that comes along with a sponsorship package is a four-year project and in the 124 months of Doyen party’s stay in the country, the firm would be earnest on recouping enough funds to pump into the deal. How do they wish to do this?
The plan is to bring on board an influx of foreign-based players, signed to bumper contracts, to make up the Hawks squad whom they would later market on a higher price tag. Already the football firm is reportedly locked in negotiations to poach top talents trading in Europe and elsewhere including notable names of our very own Gambian foreign-based stars to grace the GFF premier league on a pay scale of about 200 to 300,000 dalasis a month.
But while this will enhance a quality littered team, Hawks Fooball’s academy production line could potentially suffer a perpetual paralysis with chance for youth players at the club to make the all-important climb up to the A-team virtually shunted unless DSI’s blueprint states otherwise.
Like Bakau United –the first club to be approached before talks failed in the eleventh hour -Hawks contract with the Sports investment agency runs until 2019 worth reportedly in the region of five million a year – a staggering 60 million in the period of the agreement.
Though Hawks football authorities – who on Sunday announced the deal – have neither confirm nor deny the aforesaid contract worth, the new move outlines that a new-look Hawks will be out on a particular focus on clinching the Confederation of African Football most profitable club competition –the Orange Champions League – to announce their presence in the continent, which, unarguably will have Gambia’s image basking in the class of Africa’s top club football juggernauts.
But does it only stop at this? The joy of Hawks getting to pen such a lucrative offer will come not without at the expense of the remaining eleven clubs of the division.
Like Chelsea under Ramon Abrohimovich and recently Manchester City under cash-loaded Qatari owners, Banjul-based Hawks, armed with stark of cash ,will easily pip less privileged clubs of the top flight to the league gong almost with minimal fuss, courtesy of their expensively assembled squad. Such an equation tips the balance in mighty Hawk’s favour.
However, for Doyen’s project to come off it will require state-of-the-earth facilities in place. Gambia is rare provider of luxury avenues of such magnitude. But counting on the deal terms on football structures, the country stands to benefit from the alternative funding to be coughed up by the firm who drills and trades oil amongst other natural resources and has percentage in Barcelona duo Neymar Jr and Xavi Hernandez, Alvaro Morato, Negredo, RadamelFalcao image rights.
FIFA bites lessen that it barks. The world football governing body has only started to realise the after effects of thirty-party player ownership and blames it for the delay in processing of player transfer.
The Switzerland-based organisation spoke tough of the system but has yet to take any firm actions.
With SeppBlatter’s leadership dragging its feet over thirty-party ownership, players from Gambia, whose chance of getting signed by top European clubs have grown increasingly limited over the years owing to the low level of the league, could reap the dividends from this situation as the football marketing institution plans to rake in profit through selling of Hawks players to partnering top European clubs though on third party ownership.
DSI is a private investment entity providing alternative funding to clubs and sports associations.
Juventus, Valencia, Getafe, Sporting Gijon, Benfica, Twente, Sevilla, Santos, Porto and Granada have previously worked with the organization specialized in sports marketing.
They also sponsored La Liga champions Atletico Madrid in the 2012/2013 season.]]>

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